Bernard Jackman believes Ireland’s loosehead prop injury crisis can give Jack Boyle an opportunity to put his stamp back on the international scene, if he can shake off his own injury issue.
The Leinster prop has emerged as the most likely candidate to start for Ireland in the opening rounds of the Six Nations, and possibly for the duration of the tournament, after injuries to his Leinster and Ireland team-mates Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy.
Porter, Ireland’s established first choice loosehead, picked up a calf injury which looks set to rule him out of Ireland’s opening block of games, while McCarthy could be out for even longer after suffering a foot injury during last week’s Investec Champions Cup win against La Rochelle.
Boyle, who missed that game due to a shoulder injury, is on track to return within the next week or two, and could have a major role to play for both province and country in the coming months.
The 23-year-old made his Ireland debut during last year’s Six Nations, and started both games on the summer tour of Georgia and Portugal, but has been leapfrogged in the pecking order by McCarthy this season.
Boyle was in Ireland’s squad for the Autumn Nations Series in November but didn’t see any gametime, but Jackman believes the number 1 jersey for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against France in Paris in three weeks is his to lose.
“I think Jack Boyle’s injury isn’t too bad. There’s hope he could be available this weekend,” Jackman said on the RTÉ Rugby podcast.
“I think Jack is a good player. My worry is that he doesn’t come through [the injury], my worry is that he gets injured again, or if he plays on Saturday or he doesn’t make it back then, then obviously you’re losing, you’re losing a lot of players that you’ve been putting a lot of time into.
“He has the talent. He’s a very talented player, just a little bit unlucky that Paddy McCarthy got his opportunity at the start of the season.
“Paddy is obviously proving himself to be a little bit different, a little bit special, so Boyle’s just in a very competitive spot.
“This little window, it looks like if he can get fit himself he has a chance to show what he can do.”
Leinster attack coach Tyler Bleyendaal didn’t sound optimistic when discussing the injuries to Porter and McCarthy on Monday, ahead of Leinster’s Champions Cup trip to Bayonne this week.
And Jackman says it’s unlikely either player will be playing a significant role in the Six Nations.
“It’s phenomenal bad luck,” Jackman added.
“I think Paddy McCarty could be out for five or six months, that’s the rumour. Andrew Porter could be out for two months, three months.
“Certainly my understanding is that they’re both going to miss the Six Nations, or Porter could potentially get back for the very end of it.”
Michael Milne could also add to his two Test caps in this Six Nations
To supplement Boyle in the Ireland squad, head coach Andy Farrell has several options, although very few with significant Test experience at loosehead.
Finlay Bealham has covered at loosehead for Ireland in the past, but is also dealing with a knee injury, while Farrell has toyed with the idea of switching Ulster tighthead Tom O’Toole to the other side of the scrum.
Munster’s Michael Milne was capped during the summer Test series in 2024, while Jeremy Loughman has won five caps, the last of which came in 2024.
In Jackman’s opinion, the battle to join Boyle in the loosehead depth chart is wide open.
“You’re talking about someone getting a chance, in a Six Nations game in Paris on a Thursday night.
“Whatever it is, someone has the opportunity to take it.
“For John Fogarty [Ireland scrum coach], just don’t forget our last scrum performance was South Africa, and he obviously would want to just get back on the horse, have a decent scrum performance, and now the fates seem to be working against him because a lot of his prime beef is going to be out.
“It would be fascinating to see how they react to that.
“Obviously, you can go Michael Milne or Jack Boyle or potentially, would they be tempted to go for a Denis Buckley or Peter Dooley, just as emergency, for an experienced option, having a really experienced scrummager and loosehead for what’s obviously going to be an onslaught there.”
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